Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara has directed the local government chairmen to implement the N85,000 minimum wage in their various councils.

He ordered the newly inaugurated Local Government Service Commission to support executive chairmen in implementing the new wage.

The Governor spoke in Government House, Port Harcourt at the weekend shortly after inaugurating the chairman and members of the Local Government Service Commission.

Fubara also inaugurated the chairman and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) Service Commission.

For the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, GoodLife Ben would serve as the chairman, with Chief Emmanuel G. Jaja, Ms. Betty Warmate, Barrister Jerome Chimenem, Prince O. Ohochukwu, Philip Okparaji, and Christian Amadi as members.

For the Rivers State House of Assembly Commission, Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, was inaugurated as the chairman with Dr Kennedy Ebeku, Soberekon Clark, Jones Ogbonda, and Kingston Sylvanus as members.

Fubara said an acting chairman was previously appointed to hold brief in the local government while the situation was being studied but noted that a full fledged commission had been constituted to steer the affairs.

The governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS) said that the various local government councils had been mandated to commence payment of the N85,000.00 Minimum Wage to their workers.

He said that the mandate had met with series of complaints about ghost workers or inflated payroll staff list, which he said required proper scrutiny to ensure only genuine workers benefit.from.rne new wage.

He said: ?You must ensure that you support the Local Government Chairmen to get rid of those fake names in the payroll, so that when they implement the N85,000.00 Minimum Wage, it will not be too much burden on them.

?I am not saying you should go and dismiss people who are genuinely employed. Hear me very well: there must be proper scrutiny to be sure that whoever is there must be a genuine civil servant employed by the commission, and must have met all the conditions.?

Fubara also directed the commission to address the issue of staff stagnation on a particular grade level and ensure those due promotions truly benefitted from statutory progression in the service.

He said: ?The second side is, you have the issue of promotion, you must also ensure that they are adequately promoted so that they can start enjoying like their counterparts in the mainstream.

?There is too much dragging of their promotion, for somebody to be on Grade Level 4 for over 30 years is not good. It is not good news.

?I believe strongly that you will not allow yourselves to be corrupted like those stories that we used to hear. Make sure that there is acceptable level of discipline and standard in the Local Government Service Commission.

?I also believe strongly that you are already prepared for this assignment, and since you are prepared, I will charge you to go do what you know how to do best. Be assured that the government will give you all the necessary support.?

He charged newly sworn-in chairman and members of the State House of Assembly Service Commission to achieve greater productivity, promote highest standard and insist on best practices in the discharge of Legislative services.

Fubara also urged them to ensure that parliamentary staff were put through disciplinary conducts in the discharge of their duties in the service.

The governor explained that the constitution and swearing-in of the respective commissions were delayed with the hope that all former members of the political block would come back together but said such expectation was no longer feasible.

He said: ?As It stands now, our position is very clear. The ship that we are onboard is clear, and the activities of governance have to continue.

?So, this swearing-in is to give these two units of government ? particularly, the House of Assembly Service Commission, a formal commission so that you can start carrying out the activities of promotion, discipline and every other thing that has to do with the legislative staff activity.

?This assignment is not business as usual. You have to take full charge, and you have to ensure that there is discipline in the service.? (The Nation)

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